March 5, 2015 February general fund revenue in Kansas was $22 million ahead of “expectations,” yet $19 million below the amount collected in February 2014. How can that be? After all, the official revenue forecast predicts that general fund revenue will grow in FY 2015, not fall back. Maybe the “expectations” need some examination. To … Read More
Feb. 18, 2015 The governor’s budget recommends significant school finance cuts for FY 2016 that would directly reduce money going to Kansas classrooms. The recent cuts that the governor imposed on the approved FY 2015 budget sets into motion some of those reductions right now. The chart below outlines the governor’s budget proposals released in … Read More
Feb. 5, 2015 Seven months into fiscal year 2015, general fund receipts remain below last year’s level. That leaves a very grim outlook for the Kansas budget. A quick review: In FY 2014 revenue dropped precipitously—$688 million down in one year. Now with FY 2015 more than half over, revenue is $65 million under the … Read More
Jan. 28, 2015 State tax cuts haven’t brought a surge in job growth – even though we were told they would be like a “shot of adrenaline” to the heart of the Kansas economy. In fact, since the tax cuts were enacted, Kansas has continued to lag behind the United States and the region in … Read More
Jan. 22, 2015 What to do? Income to the Kansas general fund has fallen so low that it no longer comes close to supporting normal, reasonable expenses, and the bank account is empty. The governor has sent the Legislature a proposed budget to address the situation, but his recommended solutions do not strike at the … Read More
Jan. 15, 2015 Watch out! Even though the governor has proposed a way for Kansas to financially stumble through fiscal year 2015, most of his recommendations require legislative approval to become effective. With the legislative session just beginning, anything could happen. Schools, human service programs, and other key state services are still very vulnerable to … Read More
Dec. 17, 2014 Following Kansas’ deep, damaging tax cuts, the state had a net loss of population to other states in our region and the U.S. as a whole, not the increase that Gov. Brownback recently claimed. The tax cuts of 2012-13 haven’t caused people in the region or country to flock to Kansas because … Read More
Oct. 29, 2014 It’s nice to be in Kansas, where we enjoy pretty low unemployment. Knowing that more people are working is a hopeful sign of economic recovery. But low unemployment doesn’t mean everyone has good jobs. Many of the fastest growing jobs in Kansas pay wages that keep a family below the poverty line. … Read More
Sept. 2, 2014 Our latest report, “Quality At Risk: Impact of Education Cuts,” marks a new approach to KCEG’s research and analysis – including the voices of Kansans directly impacted by and connected to the investment we examined: K-12 education. While the pool of data on Kansas’ public schools is deep, it can sometimes miss … Read More
Aug. 20, 2014 By now you’ve heard from tax cut advocates that Kansas is adding private jobs at a rate higher than we’ve seen in the past decade. But those claims are simply not true. In reality, the tax cuts have hobbled our revenue collection and have put resources for crucial state investments—like good schools, … Read More